"What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence." – Christopher Hitchens

10 Ways to Be Part of a Presidential Campaign

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Vote. Ask your friends and colleagues if they are registered to vote. Tell them that you are voting for Bernie Sanders and why. Be informed so that you can answer their questions.

Beyond that, many of you may be feeling extra inspired to volunteer or simply go the extra mile in your support. After all, campaigns matter. You want to make the most significant concrete impact on the national conversation as possible. Here are 10 ways you can go above and beyond and help your favorite candidate (Bernie Sanders) win the ground game.

Ask your neighbors if you can mow their lawn, walk their pets, clean their house, or babysit for $$$. Donate the money to your favorite candidate. (Bernie Sanders) I wouldn’t recommend telling them where the money is going unless you are sure that they are Bernie fans. 😉

Sell some of your stuff on Craigslist or eBay, and donate the money to your favorite candidate. (Bernie Sanders) For that matter, sell your blood plasma.

Figure out how much money you spend going out for breakfast/lunch/coffee during a typical month. Figure out how much you would save by packing your own food or brewing your own coffee. Do so, and donate the savings to your favorite candidate (Bernie Sanders) at the end of each month.

If you have family or friends who are fans of Bernie Sanders, make their holiday/birthday gift a donation to Bernie’s campaign in their name.

Make a point to use cash, and collect the spare change that remains at the end of each day. Donate this money to your favorite candidate (Bernie Sanders) at the end of each month.

Going out drinking with friends? Tell them about this great new place called “My Living Room” where you’ve got a full cooler full of great drinks you paid less than $8 a pop for. Figure out how much you saved in drink costs, taxi, etc. and donate them to your favorite candidate. (Bernie Sanders) You can call it your “Getting drunk cheap for Bernie“ party.

Are your kids begging you to buy them a toy/treat/ticket? Manipulate them into donating that money instead to your favorite candidate. (Bernie Sanders) “Madison, I know you want that pony, but did you know there are children who can’t afford to see doctors, who’s parents were taken from them and thrown in jail because of institutional racism? This $100 could get you a pony, or you could put that money toward helping those other kids get their parents back.” Your kid learns about charity and democracy, and you don’t have to pick up pony shit. #WinWin

Ask your boss for a raise. Tell your boss that income inequality is at it’s most severe since the 1920’s. Tell them to be part of the solution. Donate some of the difference to Bernie so that we can all get a raise.

Shop cheaper, cancel expensive subscriptions to TV/publications/cell phone, eat out less, I think you get the picture… Donate that money to Bernie.

You may be disappointed. You may have expected suggestions that didn’t involve money. During the civil war, you could pay $300 to avoid being drafted into the military. It’s not the most just of policies, but the $300 was usually far more valuable than the soldier.

Of course, you can go to your local campaign office and make phone calls from a script, but the reality is that your money is way more valuable to a campaign, especially Bernie’s campaign, than your time. If you want to volunteer your time to a campaign, use that time making or saving money, and let the campaign use that money to build infrastructure, buy ad time, pay skilled staff, and demonstrate legitimacy and staying power.